Quick answer
To deliver a large photo collection to a client on an iPhone, send a HeftySend link with the file count, total size and collection deadline. Explain that a downloaded ZIP usually needs to be opened in the Files app before its pictures can be saved to Photos. Start with one image to confirm the client understands the route, then collect the rest. They do not need a HeftySend account to download.
The upload can be complete while the handover is still unfinished. Your client may see a preview, tap a download button and expect the whole gallery to appear in Photos. A few clear instructions prevent that confusion. This guide focuses on the recipient’s iPhone, rather than preparing camera originals for an editor.
What should you send before the download link?
Ask whether the client wants the collection on their phone or in a computer archive. A phone is convenient for viewing and sharing selected images; a large collection may be easier to archive on a computer with enough space. Agree the destination before sending another copy of the same files.
- Name the delivery. Include the project and final version, the number of photographs and the total download size.
- Explain the format. Say whether they are receiving individual JPEGs, a ZIP archive or specialist originals. Do not expect a client to recognise a camera RAW file.
- Give the deadline. HeftySend’s free transfers expire after three days. Choose a delivery time when the client can collect the files.
- Keep a backup. Ask for confirmation that the files open after download before treating the handover as complete.
If you are supplying editing assets, see our RAW photo delivery guide. For a finished gallery intended for everyday use, agree suitable finished image files with the client.
How do you send the collection with HeftySend?
- Check the final files, count them and measure the complete delivery.
- Open HeftySend and upload the prepared files. Wait for the upload to finish.
- Share the completed transfer link with the collection instructions below.
- Ask the client to open one image first, then download the rest using the route that suits their available space.
The free plan supports up to 20 GB per transfer and three days of availability. Recipients can download without signing up. Premium currently supports up to 1 TB per transfer and 365 days using included storage, at $9 USD per month. Check the current plans before choosing the collection period.
HeftySend does not charge for bandwidth usage. Paid custom download pages add templates, colours, backgrounds and text for a more personal handover. If you connect your own S3 storage, the provider’s storage, request and delivery charges remain separate.
Where do downloaded photos go on an iPhone?
A browser download is not the same action as saving an image to the Photos library. If the client downloaded a file or archive, start in Files. Apple’s download location guide says to open Files, tap Browse and look for Downloads. If Downloads is not visible, check iCloud Drive. A different configured download location may be in use.
Safari’s Downloads button can show whether a download is still running and help locate a completed file. Ask the client to check that status before starting the same download again. Simply opening a preview on the transfer page does not confirm that they have kept a copy.
How does the client open a ZIP of photographs?
HeftySend’s download page guide describes individual downloads and a Download All option that packages files into a ZIP. If your client chooses the archive, Apple documents this opening process:
- Wait until the ZIP has finished downloading.
- Find it in the Files app.
- Tap the ZIP. Files creates a folder containing the extracted items.
- Open that folder and check that the expected photographs are present.
See Apple’s ZIP instructions for iPhone. For a supported image opened from Files, use Share and look for Save Image to add it to the Photos library. Apple describes that command in its Files guide. Available actions depend on the file format and software version. If the option is missing, check the format with the sender rather than installing an unfamiliar archive app.
How much space does the iPhone need?
Check Settings, General, iPhone Storage, as described in Apple’s storage guide. The phone needs room for the files it stores locally. A ZIP and its extracted contents can coexist, so the archive’s download size alone is not a safe estimate of the total space needed. Saving another copy to Photos may add further storage use.
For example, a 6 GB archive might expand into roughly 6 GB of already compressed photographs. Keeping both would require roughly 12 GB before temporary files or another library copy. This is an illustrative calculation, not a tested requirement for every iPhone. Ask the sender for the uncompressed size and leave additional room. If space is tight, collect selected images or use a computer for the complete archive.
What message can you send to the client?
Adapt this example to the actual collection and expiry:
Your finished photographs are ready at the link below. The delivery contains 120 JPEGs and is about 2 GB. Please download before the expiry shown on the page.
On your iPhone, try one photograph first. If you choose Download All, wait for the ZIP to finish, then find it in Files and tap it to open the collection folder. Downloaded files may not appear in Photos automatically. Open a supported image and use Share, then Save Image, if you want a copy in Photos.
Please check the file count and open a few pictures after downloading. Reply once you have a usable copy, or send me the exact message you see if anything fails.
Can you see the ZIP process in a video?
This 360 Reader tutorial demonstrates zipping and unzipping in the Files app. It shows an older interface, so use the current Apple instructions above when buttons differ. It is a general Files walkthrough, not a HeftySend test.
What else should you check?
Does my client need to pay to receive the photos?
No HeftySend recipient subscription is required. If an account or payment prompt appears, check that they opened the intended transfer link. Our recipient account guide explains the distinction.
Will a ZIP reduce the quality of my photographs?
A normal ZIP packages the existing files without resampling the photographs. Exporting a smaller image is a different operation. Tell the client which final files you supplied.
Why can the client preview a photo but not find it later?
A preview is not proof of a saved download. Check the browser’s download status and the chosen Files location, then save a supported image to Photos if that is where the client wants it.
Should I send RAW files to a client who only uses a phone?
Only when that is the agreed deliverable and they have a suitable workflow. For ordinary viewing and sharing, ask whether they need finished JPEGs instead. A camera original and a finished photograph serve different purposes.
What if the link expires before the client finishes?
They should contact you for a fresh delivery. Keep your source copy and agree a collection time or choose a suitable longer availability plan before sending again.
Should I delete the archive as soon as it opens?
First confirm that the extracted files are complete and usable and that the intended backup exists. Be careful with cloud locations, where deletion may synchronise to other devices.
A good handover ends with usable photographs on the client’s chosen device. Start with a clear HeftySend link, explain Files versus Photos and ask for confirmation of receipt.
Checked on 1 October 2026 against Apple’s current support guides and HeftySend’s product documentation. Interface labels can vary by iOS version.